funding for crossroads cafe was provided in part... by the departments of education of the states of... california florida, illinois... and new york. and by the united states department of education... and the united states immigration and naturalization service.

oh ! shouldn't you be in school ? yeah, but i lost something and i'm hoping it's here in my locker.

what in the world do you need with all this ? hey, this is nothing. you should see my locker at school. no, thank you. what is it you're looking for ? - my how-to video. - your what ? here it is. we're going to start working with video cameras in my journalism class and this tape explains how to use them. video cameras ? i thought journalism was supposed to teach you how to be a newspaper reporter. it's the '90s, mr. brashov. you know... "big breaking story: mayor eats donut. film at 11:00." if i lost that tape, my instructor would never let me near one of those video cameras. i didn't know you played hockey. i don't. not anymore. good morning, mr. brashov. good morning, mr. brashov.

good morning ! what are you doing here so early ? your alarm clock broken ? i just stopped by to pick up something. see you later, mr. brashov. good luck, mr. anchorman. henry's journalism class has a new project. something about television news. henry... in television ? i don't think the nightly news has anything to worry about. i see everybody is early this morning. now that i'm riding with katherine i don't have to be worried about those stupid bus schedules. and i only charge her half as much as the bus driver. yes, but i have to walk to her apartment. listen, you don't have two school kids to get ready every morning. i need the extra time. well, rosa, i'm glad you're here. i need to go over the produce list with you. i'll just hang up my coat. i'm so tired. i don't think i've slept in a week. listen, if you're going to be rosa the party animal, don't expect any sympathy from me. it's nothing like that. it's my pipes.

excuse me ? the pipes in my apartment. all night long they are making sounds like a science fiction movie. i don't think i ever saw that movie. i can't get any sleep. - why don't you call your landlord and complain ? - i tried. but all i got was an answering machine so i left a message. my neighbor says they told her they were going to fix it. - but she's been saying that for weeks. - maybe you should move. i wouldn't want to desert my roommate. but the noises don't seem to bother carrie at all. you're right ! maybe i should look for another apartment. why not ? you've got nothing to lose. - i noticed a "for rent" sign this morning on your building. - my building ? what's the matter ? wouldn't you like to have me as a neighbor ? oh, no. i mean, yes. it's just that i was thinking-- it was just a surprise. - but i think it would be great. - maybe i should look at it on my way home tonight. i'll give you the phone number of the property manager.

you can call her and have her meet you there. you'll like dorothy. she's a good friend. i love it ! i really do. it's absolutely perfect ! i'm so sorry to keep you waiting. that was my office calling me about one of my other buildings. - but i see you've made yourself at home. - oh, yes ! i just love this apartment. it's just the right size for me. the price is right and it's even close to where i work. good. and what is your name again ? rosa rivera. hello, rosa. i'm dorothy walsh, the property manager. it's a pleasure to meet you, miss walsh. you know, here this place was, practically under my nose. in fact, it's funny-- i know. it's always the last place you look. you filled out your rental application ? oh, yes. it's all finished. i think you'll be particularly interested in my personal references. oh, i'm sure i will be. well, everything seems to be in order. so, when will i know if i get the apartment ? oh, rosa, if it were up to me, i'd be helping you unpack right this minute.

but unfortunately, you're going to have to be patient for a couple of days... while we process this application. oh, yes, i understand. but i'm so excited. i can stop searching. well, you can just go home now and start to dream about your new apartment. i will. i'm sorry to rush you, but i'm going to be late for another appointment. it was so good to meet you rosa. oh, no, the pleasure was all mine, really. "the w-407 was designed with simplicity in mind. even a child can use this camera." that was the wrong button. i knew that. what about this ? i think that's the manual focus control. - so where's the on/off button ? - right here, next to the manual focus control. i knew that. why am i trying to figure out this dumb camera ? i still don't have a clue what i'm going to do with it. don't worry. you'll think of something. something isn't going to get me a passing grade in journalism. our instructor said...

our video projects had to be... "socially significant." - what does that mean ? - i think it means something timely and important. what about crossroads cafe ? give me a break. i have an order to go, rosa. i'll get right to work on it mr. brashov. - why are you in such a good mood today ? - because it's a wonderful day ! oh ? and why is it a wonderful day ? rosa's found a new apartment mr. brashov. - that's why she's been bouncing around all morning. - that's marvelous, rosa. it's in my building. we're going to be neighbors. it's a fantastic apartment. lots of room, and the pipes don't talk to themselves. the pipes ? i don't understand. the plumbing, mr. brashov. it's a long story. congratulations, rosa. when do you move in ? it's not official yet. i just saw the apartment last night. miss walsh said it would take a couple of days while they process the application. - how did you like dorothy ? - oh, she's a very nice lady. she'll probably be calling you. i put you down as a personal reference. i hope you say nice things. i'll try to think of something.

she'll be calling you too, mr. brashov, to confirm my employment. after she speaks with me she will offer you the penthouse. oh. so nice of you both to come back to work. sorry, mr. brashov. jamal was helping me with my video camera. do you have any ideas for henry's project, mr. brashov ? yes. it's called, "working at crossroads cafe: you do it, or you don't get paid." crossroads cafe. yes, miss walsh. this is victor brashov the owner. how can i help you ? rosa rivera ? yes, she works here. as a matter of fact, she is my best and most-valued employee. hey ! oh, he's really angry with us. what ? you didn't ? oh, yeah, she's here. just a moment. she wants to speak with you. remember, nice things. no, no. - she wants you, rosa. - this is it ! i got the apartment !

hello, miss walsh. this is rosa. good news, i hope. yes. yes. i see. oh, no. no, no, i understand. thanks, miss walsh. i didn't get it. there was some sort of mix-up. the apartment had already been rented. - uh-oh. - uh-oh ? what is this "uh-oh" ? i can't tell you how many times in my life i've been told, "i'm sorry. there's been a little mix-up." oh, no, jess. i know what you are thinking but it isn't that way at all. miss walsh is very nice. she wanted me to move in. it was just a mistake. it could be. but i've been around long enough to know... that discrimination comes in a lot of different packages. now you see it. now you don't. what do you mean mr. washington ?

prejudice doesn't always come dressed up in a white sheet, henry, or a black shirt. most of the time it wears a handshake and a smile. dorothy walsh is a very sweet person. she'd never discriminate against anyone. for once i'm happy to say you're wrong, jess. i hope i am. i'm sorry about the apartment, rosa. thanks, jess. don't worry, rosa. you'll find something. of course you will. i will keep all of my eyes and ears open. why don't we look in the classifieds and find you another apartment ? good idea ! i have a paper right here. it really is a wonderful first apartment, patty. - just perfect for a young woman starting out on her own. - what do you think, honey ? oh, i like it. i just can't make up my mind. let me assure you, mr. peterson, that patty will be very safe and happy here. i personally approve every tenant, so you and your wife have nothing to worry about. - actually, i'm a widower. i do all the worrying myself. - oh, i'm so sorry. -that's okay. -well, then you can be sure i'll keep a motherly eye

on patty. and i want you to feel free to call me anytime. of course the same goes for your dad. we're certainly very interested, but we do have to look at a few other places first. - would it be okay if we came back saturday morning ? - oh, that would be fine. but i can't guarantee the apartment would still be available. - we understand. - knock, knock. oh, katherine blake, come on in here. i was just bragging about my tenants and here' the best one of all. i'm sorry. i didn't mean to interrupt. oh, don't be silly. come on in and meet your soon-to-be new neighbor patty peterson. hi. and her father. don. hello. katherine is just the dearest person in the whole world. i just know you're going to love her. well, it's a pleasure to meet you. we should be on our way. - and we'll be in touch with you on saturday. - i'm looking forward to it. bye. thank you. bye. - isn't this place a little small for the two of them ? - hmm ? oh, no. it's just for the kid. she's a student or something. - when does she move in ? - i don't know. they're not sure they're going to take it.

you mean the apartment's not rented already ? no, but keep your fingers crossed because the father is gorgeous, successful, - and best of all, widowed. - oh, dorothy, you're terrible. not that you're exactly in the market these days. how is the big romance going ? you mean with bill ? oh, fine. we're taking it sort of slow and easy. but i'm confused. confused about a man ? oh, join the club. no. about the apartment. i thought it was rented already. -no. why would you think that ? -isn't that what you told rosa ? - who ? - rosa rivera. she applied for the apartment a few days ago. oh, that little mexican girl. you know her ? - yeah. she's the chef at the restaurant where i work. - oh, crossroads cafe ! of course. i knew it sounded familiar when i called. it really is a smal@ world. didn't you see my name on her application ? i was one of her references. just between you and me, i never got that far. believe me, the senorita was never really in the running. not quite our type if you know what i mean.

- "our type" ? - wait a minute. rosa the cook ? the one you're always complaining about ? the one who drives you crazy ? - well-- - it sounds like i did you a big favor. yeah. [ narrator ] the history of humanity is scarred... by incidents of prejudice-- the hostility of one group of people toward another. in recent years, united states congress has enacted laws... to help counter the effects of prejudice in housing... and the workplace. good morning. how are you folks ? hi. hi, i'm ronald vaught. hi, ron. how are you ? you got a lovely building. well, thank you very much. do you want to be called ronald or ron ? either one. whatever you feel comfortable with. how did you say your last name ? vaught. as you can see by my resume, i'm

more than qualified for this position. one ? just one advertising agency that you've worked at ? oh, yes. but i'm an executive at an advertising agency now. i minored in advertising. as you can see i graduated from stanford. - did you play sports there ? - no, i did not play sports there. i was on a scholarship; academic scholarship. okay. i've got other packages here too. show you some of the examples of my creativity and some of the work i've been working on. ronald, we've been looking for a number of people, and we haven't made any decisions yet. - but we will be sure to give you a call. - absolutely. now, this is the best number to reach you ? yes. thanks so much for coming in. take care. is that all ? [ narrator ] under the civil rights act employers are not allowed to discriminate against or among their employees... on the basis of sex, religion race, national origin or creed. ford. it's an escort. from the time i write the ad and place it into the paper, to the time that i make the final decision

i want to focus, not on their personality on whether or not i like them as a person, but whether or not they can do the job. one more before lunch ? i guess. well, hi. hello there. it's jane, right ? yes. how are you ? yeah, it's ong. ong ? well, jane, tell us a little bit about yourself. sure. graduated cum laude at yale university. are you married ? yes, i am. i ending up marrying my college sweetheart from yale. - i've got plenty of ad-- advertisement-- - children ? yes. oh, you do. and how old are they ? my children are one and three. so, there's... a lot of care involved ? - thank you very much for coming in. - thanks a lot. there are a whole list of questions that we don't ask in interviews. the classic example is the question... that was usually only asked of women: "do you have children ?" for some reason, we thought that told us something about their attendance record. equally qualified male versus female...

can't discriminate on the basis of sex. you can't take the male employee over the female employee and vice-versa. you take the best qualified, and you hire them. well, i think this is an open-and-shut case. it's too bad we had to go through this crap when we knew all along that he was the guy. oh, greg is definitely the one. okay. i'll have the secretary call tomorrow. he can start right away. that was easy. great. let's go to lunch. the fact of the matter is that we tend to hire people who are like we are. unless we're trained to ask good questions... and to listen carefully to what the candidate says... and make a decision based upon the whole interview our biases tend to come out. greg, you're really going to fit in here. thank you very much. great company here. i think you're going to really like it. we got your office right down this way. and she never even looked at rosa's application ! she had already made up her mind. "not quite our type," that's what she said. i hate to say i told you so. i came to this country to get away from that kind of thinking.

i couldn't believe this was the same dorothy that i've known all this time. you should have heard her call rosa "the senorita." it was sickening. i don't want to hear any more. let's just forget about it. how can you forget about it, rosa ? th kind of hatred and ignorance is disgusting ! it's also illegal. after rosa got turned down i contacted the department of fair employment and housing... to check out the laws on discrimination, and it's real simple. "section 14040 of the housing code prohibits discrimination based on color, "religion, national origin ancestry, - sex or marital status." - that spells it out pretty clearly. -right. you're not going to let this woman get away with this. -what can i do ? -not just you; all of us. -but you still have to prove she discriminated against rosa. yes. but how do you do that ? believe me it's not easy. - i think i know a way. - and is it socially significant ? yes, you got it.

if you don't understand what someone is saying to you, what do you do ? you've seen a number of different options in this episode. besides simply asking what something means you can repeat the words you don't understand... or ask a clarifying question.

let's hightail it back to the story. hightail it ? i don't get it. do you mean you want to hurry or-- come on. you can hide in here. how long will i have to wait ? dorothy's due back any minute. i better get this key back before she shows up. oh. remind everyone to be sure... and stand real close to each other so i can get them both in the same shot. i will. good luck.

i knew i could figure out how to work this turkey. yes. your credit record and references are excellent as i knew they would be. so, don, if you're ready to sign, your lovely daughter can move in immediately. - so what do you say, patty ? - you'll fit right in. as i said, i'm very careful to screen applicants. beautiful woodwork ! i love it already ! good morning. my friend here is interested in the apartment. do you have to stand so close ? is the kitchen this way ? - who's that ? - i'm sure i don't know. excuse me. sir ! are those the applications ? yes, but i-- - you don't mind if i fill one out, do you ? - as a matter of fact, i do. - is there a problem ? - yes. i'd rather you didn't. - the apartment is already rented. - well, that's not quite true. -well, what i meant to say was-- -excuse me. could you hold this end of my tape measure, please?

- yes, i could. - thank you. excuse me. do you mind ? thank you very much. excuse me. i know it looks funny, but i have to get the dimensions. otherwise, i can't move in. - what is going on here ? - it is a little small, but i think you can make it work. - the kitchen is this way ? - yes, indeed, stranger. but you are wasting your time. we saw it first. now, about the rent ? - whatever they're paying, i'll pay ten dollars a month more. - not so fast. i have decided i will take the apartment. why is everyone standing so close to me ? i don't know what this is all about, but i will take care of it. i'm sorry, but you will all have to leave. - but i thought the apartment was still available. - that's true, isn't it ? now just a minute-- well, actually, we haven't signed the lease yet. - and i still haven't made up my mind. - then it has not been rented. - i will pay ten percent more than the top offer. - ten ? i'll pay 15. - do i hear 20 ? - please ! the petersons are getting the apartment ! - don't you understand ? your kind is not welcome here. - what do you mean, "our kind" ? do you mean because this gentleman is black, or do you mean because this gentleman speaks with a funny accent, like i do ?

- do i have to spell it out ? - you already have. - now what ? - and it's all here on tape. the department of fair employment and housing... should be very interested in hearing what you just said. these people are trying to make me out to be some kind of villain. i am a good manager. i work hard to create a comfortable and familiar community. is that why you told rosa the apartment was rented when it was still available ? i don't know what you're talking about. i think i do. and it's not what i want for my daughter. i want her to appreciate the world for all its differences. here. come on, honey. let's go take a look at some of those other apartments again. nice job. - thanks. - well, i hope you're satisfied. i thought you guys were wonderful. well, thanks, rosa. but there is still the matter of you and this apartment. oh, so that's what this is all about: petty revenge. because chiquita here didn't get the apartment ? her name is rosa ! and she's my friend. i thought we were friends, katherine.

not anymore, dorothy. i'm going to keep on living here... because it wouldn't be fair to my kids to pack them up and move again. but you and i are no longer friends. well, maybe you won't be living here much longer. oh, just try and evict me. i'd love to see you in court. me too. and i'm sure henry's tape would impress any judge. okay. you win. sign here and the apartment yours. thanks anyway. but i just decided... i don't like the view. close the door when you leave. who's hungry ? i know a wonderful restaurant in the neighborhood. my treat ! victor, i've never heard you say that. what do you think about that girl ? i think she was giving you the eye.

rosa ? i'm coming. so, what happens now ? you clean up the dirty dishes. that's not what i meant. what about finding rosa an apartment ? i've been thinking about that and i've decided i'm going to stay where i am. it wouldn't be fair to carrie if i moved. she couldn't afford to live there by herself. -what about the noisy plumbing ? -i'll sleep with that pillow over my head. that's what carrie does. anyway, she's talking about moving back to los angeles. so maybe i'll just wait and see what her plans are before i do anything.

good. then everything's settled. - not everything. - what do you mean, jess ? well, what about dorothy walsh ? is she just going to get away with it ? no, jess. i'm going to file a complaint against her first thing monday morning. and i'm going to be her witness. and i'll be there with my camera. it'll be a great finish for my video project. i'm going to call it "discrimination in housing: a case study." henry, you were fantastic. - yes, henry, very impressive. - wait until you see me on camera. then you'll really be impressed. - watch out, nightly news. here he comes. - salud !

closed-captioned by captions, inc. los angeles crossroads cafe is a series that teaches english... to speakers of other languages. for more information call toll-free:

here, kitty, kitty! here, kitty, kitty, kitty! here, kitty, kty you'd think it wld be ea to tell which kids had trouble with their eyesight. [ thud ] but that's not always the case. even though one in four children may have a vision problem, eye doctors tell us the symptoms aren't always so obvious. we do know that 80% of all childhood learning is visual. and without good vision, kids can have trouble learning to read. [ girls screaming ] ow! and may fall behind in school. for clues on how to spot the real-life signs of cldhood vision problems and what parents can do,

visit checkyearly.com. a public service message from the vision council of america and reading is fundamental. patty: filing for social security online is so easy a beatnik can do it. with his laptop. in any malt shop!